Santiam Senators Ready for DeMarini Wood Bat Tournament

STAYTON, Ore.– Ron Caligure calls his team minutes before the start of practice, the Santiam Senators are just day’s away from the DeMarini Wood Bat Tournament.

Though some of their competition continue to bussle through league games during this week leading up to when the tournament starts Thursday, the Senators (5-1, 3-0)

“I think it helped a lot,” said Brandon Gieselman on the rest. “It gave my arm a little rest so it can get ready for this tournament. So my arm is feeling better, feeling good. I’m excited to get ready for these games and this tournament.”

At the legion level, wood bats aren’t always used outside of tournaments if at all, so there’s nerves to it but excitement as well.

“It’s definitely going to be fun, it’s our first tournament,” said Brayden Neuharth. “We love tournaments because we can bond as a team in between games and it’s a fun way to travel espically with wood bat tournament, I don’t think we’ve done one before. But it’s definitely going to be nerve-racking doing it.”

The team listening to the coaches before practice (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

The Senators will start the tournament with Pool Play with North Salem at 9am Thursday followed by Rex Putnam at 2pm.

In the other pool, you got PDX Legion 1, Northwest Stars and a team from Australia.

So it’s safe to say that you have to live up to the competition to compete.

“I’m excited for it,” said Gieselman. “To live up to the competition, getting to play bigger schools. You have to step up to play.

Neuharth added:

“It’s actually pretty amazing to play Australia,” he said. “It’s definitely going to be challenging playing 6A schools but we’re up to it.”

As Caligure sends his team out for practice, the Senators are ready to go for the Wood Bat Tournament Thursday morning at Schaefer Stadium at Barrick Field off of Baker Street Northeast in Salem.